I've taken my time in getting here I have to admit, but I think you can forgive me as I've been settling into my new job over the past couple of weeks! I thoroughly enjoyed my little role in our Christmas craft fair and met a lot of interesting people either exhibiting their goods or just visiting for the day :-) Hopefully I made myself useful and contributed to the running of the day!
Back at home I said a difficult goodbye to Jessie Bengal kitten last Monday. This had to be one of the most difficult litters we've ever had, Jeanie had three kittens in total and losing the little boy at a day old and then Fidget at 7 weeks was heartbreaking. So I grew very attached to little Pudding, she is a very special girl, but luckily she has found a lovely home with our close neighbour and I will be visiting when I can!
Anyway, I wanted to put my thoughts down about the abundance of technology surrounding our lives and the comparative lack of it in this house! We have a very old computer, by the standards of today at least, and the fan makes such a racket it's a distraction. The poor processor is getting slower and slower and I'll be surprised if it lasts into the new year...the big decision now is to get another desktop or replace it with a laptop which would suit everyone being portable with a bigger memory?
The interesting point here is that no one else has offered to replace it, they seem able to put up with the noise and sluggishness but it's driving me mad! So anything new will be brought under my own steam which is fine, I can finally start giving something back to my long suffering parents (hehe!) I may well "donate" this laptop which is very reliable to the use of the family or whomever gets their grubby mitts on it first, and look into getting a Lenovo Yoga for myself - I worship the design, size, portability and reliability of Lenovo and the Yoga just stands out of the crowd for me! I love how it can be folded open like a book, used as a tablet form and then back to the standard laptop; dynamic is not the word :-) The only downside is the price tag but I shall keep saving and see what happens.
In the mean time I am also attracted to an iPod as my MP3 player isn't up to much these days and my music collection has vastly outgrown the memory space. The debate this time is which iPod do I choose? Decisions, decisions! I think it's narrowed down to an iPod Touch 4th generation, 16gb suits me just fine and I like the fact it can download apps so I can still get radio channels on it *happy dance* and I have just placed a bid on ebay as I type so we shall see what the outcome is over the next few days. Still working on quite a tight budget especially in the run up to christmas and buying presents for friends and family.
And then of course there is the iPad. I resisted for as long as I could but the more I see them being used the more I really like the design and convenience of them. The iPad 2 is rather heavy for my liking but the screen size is perfect, so am thinking about the first iPad mini for size and weight. It's been recommended by a few friends so will be keeping a beady eye on good ol' ebay!
I had been looking at the iPad, Google Nexus and Galaxy Tab to start with, but came to the conclusion that the Nexus is a little limited in use and the Galaxy has mixed reviews and a much smaller memory than the other two tablets. For quality then I think Apple still reigns supreme but it does come at a significant cost to the purse...watch this space!
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Half way up the stairs...
Life has suddenly and forcefully happened over the past few days, I thought things had been going a bit too well. Jeanie had her second litter in August, two babies on a Monday, one with fluid on his lungs and was very weak and we lost him at a day old :-( She then had another baby on the Wednesday (unheard of for us for such a long labour!) and this baby seemed very strong and the two survivors, both girls, pulled through and were very strong. Jeanie did a great job of looking after them, she's a brilliant mum. And then around 2 weeks old I realised the youngest kitten had a deformed ribcage, I have seen it before and heard about it, in some cases it can grow normally and in others it's permanent but the kittens can live a full and active life. As she grew, it became clear that this was a severe case and she was much slower to play and run around than her sister, finding eating difficult as we began to wean them at 5 weeks and her breathing grew more laboured. Then at 7 weeks she still wasn't eating unaided, we had to prompt her to drink and she would sit by the heater and watch her sister run around. Jeanie was still very attentive and hadn't abandoned her but she went down hill within a week and we made the sad decision to let her go on Friday 11th October; she was just 8 weeks old, despite our feeding her and keeping her as warm and comfortable as possible she wasn't doing at all well. Nicknamed Fidget at a few days old (because she could scoot around the nest so quickly!) she was a little character and so very sweet. I like to think she is running free at rainbow bridge, whole and well and happy. I miss her every day but I have her sister Pudding (she likes her food ;-) ) now named Jessie to keep me busy which I'm thankful for. Losing a kitten at a day old is bad enough but to lose another at 8 weeks is heart breaking and so difficult, in fact I considered giving up my hobby of breeding my cats altogether, the pain is horrendous when things go wrong. It still needs some serious thought. Sleep tight baby girl, we miss you so much!
And now it's taken a few days for all of us to process this and realise the permanence of our loss...we had to say goodbye to Bryn, our 13 year old Border Collie, on Monday 14th October. He had been very energetic a few days before hand and enjoyed a day outside with our other collies and my Dad on Saturday, even jumping up on to the sofa on his own (he had chronic hip dysplasia and had an operation as a youngster to remove the ball of the joint) so that was quite a feat for him at that age. It was a shock to see him Sunday morning laying quietly, eyes closed and barely able to move - we think he had a very severe stroke during the night which left him paralysed down his right side.
Letting him go was the kindest thing to do for him but it has broken my heart. I made the mistake of thinking he was always going to be around, in my mind he was invincible and didn't let his bad legs affect his life at all no matter how many times we told him to calm down, not to jump around or run like a mad thing! But he knew best of course!
I'm cherishing the memories and the fun we had competing in agility, he preferred to take his own course and make his way back to me but he was known for his sense of humour and it was wicked :-)
The hardest part is adjusting to life without him; the house with 3 Collies feels empty, and there is a very definite gap, he was always to be found on a sofa, in the Beagle's bed, laying by the front door or his very favourite seat - stretched out on the stairs, wedged in tight so anyone wanting to go up or downstairs had to step over him carefully, no way was he going to move! Half way up the stairs is the stairs where I sit, as my dad used to sing to him and it suited Bryn perfectly. I keep expecting to see him out of the corner of my eye or hear his bark demanding one of us fetches him from the second floor landing or to be let into my room! He loved sneaking into my room and making himself comfy on my bed and last year my new double bed...he would start laying down by my feet and in the morning I would wake up to him stretched out next to me with his head on the pillow :-)
And now it's taken a few days for all of us to process this and realise the permanence of our loss...we had to say goodbye to Bryn, our 13 year old Border Collie, on Monday 14th October. He had been very energetic a few days before hand and enjoyed a day outside with our other collies and my Dad on Saturday, even jumping up on to the sofa on his own (he had chronic hip dysplasia and had an operation as a youngster to remove the ball of the joint) so that was quite a feat for him at that age. It was a shock to see him Sunday morning laying quietly, eyes closed and barely able to move - we think he had a very severe stroke during the night which left him paralysed down his right side.
Letting him go was the kindest thing to do for him but it has broken my heart. I made the mistake of thinking he was always going to be around, in my mind he was invincible and didn't let his bad legs affect his life at all no matter how many times we told him to calm down, not to jump around or run like a mad thing! But he knew best of course!
I'm cherishing the memories and the fun we had competing in agility, he preferred to take his own course and make his way back to me but he was known for his sense of humour and it was wicked :-)
The hardest part is adjusting to life without him; the house with 3 Collies feels empty, and there is a very definite gap, he was always to be found on a sofa, in the Beagle's bed, laying by the front door or his very favourite seat - stretched out on the stairs, wedged in tight so anyone wanting to go up or downstairs had to step over him carefully, no way was he going to move! Half way up the stairs is the stairs where I sit, as my dad used to sing to him and it suited Bryn perfectly. I keep expecting to see him out of the corner of my eye or hear his bark demanding one of us fetches him from the second floor landing or to be let into my room! He loved sneaking into my room and making himself comfy on my bed and last year my new double bed...he would start laying down by my feet and in the morning I would wake up to him stretched out next to me with his head on the pillow :-)
This was March 2012 in our local park, Bryn on the left with Aussie on the right..so glad I managed to take some pictures on a gorgeous day of my beautiful boys.
Remembering two very special pets and members of our family, we miss them every day and I wish they were still with us, but I dream of them running free and happy at Rainbow Bridge with the rest of our pets from years gone by.
Bryn - Touchango Jesta Minute (1/04/2000 - 14/10/2013)
Fidget (21/08/2013 - 11/10/2013)
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Hold The Phone...
So it's a day later than I had planned but here it is at last, my fantastic announcement *drum roll* I have been offered a full time job! This is my first real job working in a team which is part of a much bigger company and I am thrilled that I was offered the position.
Initially I had sent in the application for weekend work and didn't expect a response, but I was emailed and asked to go to the interview. I was nervous, not gonna lie about it as it was my first serious interview, but after some prep talks with my lovely boyfriend I was ready and the day rolled around!
My goal was to answer the questions without tripping over my words, turning a pretty shade of beetroot or simply appearing to be a complete wet lettuce really and it actually went well :-) I came away feeling pleased that I had tried my very best, been myself and answered all of the questions without any problems. I was told to wait for a reply by the end of the week - insert nail biting week of waiting - I wasn't holding my breath though but lo and behold I had a phone call on Monday asking whether I would like the job! I was thrilled to say the least but then came the even more interesting part, would I like to interview for a full time position the next day? No brainer, of course! So off I went for a morning interview having looked over the job description an hour earlier so I had an idea of what I could talk about. Again it went well, I answered as best I could and felt I wasn't quite up to scratch but I was pleased they had asked me to try it out and that I had a good feeling about it. I left feeling elated, two interviews in as many weeks and both felt successful - result :-)
Then that very afternoon I received another phone call offering me the full time position and needless to say I accepted it and replied in writing today! *par-tay time*
It's taken a few days for it to sink in, I'm very excited and more than a little nervous but it's onwards and upwards from here :-) I couldn't have done it without the support of my boyfriend or my family, it means so much that they are there for me and I hope I can be there for them when they need me!
Initially I had sent in the application for weekend work and didn't expect a response, but I was emailed and asked to go to the interview. I was nervous, not gonna lie about it as it was my first serious interview, but after some prep talks with my lovely boyfriend I was ready and the day rolled around!
My goal was to answer the questions without tripping over my words, turning a pretty shade of beetroot or simply appearing to be a complete wet lettuce really and it actually went well :-) I came away feeling pleased that I had tried my very best, been myself and answered all of the questions without any problems. I was told to wait for a reply by the end of the week - insert nail biting week of waiting - I wasn't holding my breath though but lo and behold I had a phone call on Monday asking whether I would like the job! I was thrilled to say the least but then came the even more interesting part, would I like to interview for a full time position the next day? No brainer, of course! So off I went for a morning interview having looked over the job description an hour earlier so I had an idea of what I could talk about. Again it went well, I answered as best I could and felt I wasn't quite up to scratch but I was pleased they had asked me to try it out and that I had a good feeling about it. I left feeling elated, two interviews in as many weeks and both felt successful - result :-)
Then that very afternoon I received another phone call offering me the full time position and needless to say I accepted it and replied in writing today! *par-tay time*
It's taken a few days for it to sink in, I'm very excited and more than a little nervous but it's onwards and upwards from here :-) I couldn't have done it without the support of my boyfriend or my family, it means so much that they are there for me and I hope I can be there for them when they need me!
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Prep & Pep Talk!
Second post in one day, I must be ill! Oh wait, I do have a cold and seem to be suffering from fits of the giggles at random times of day for little or no reason but I'm blaming the coffee.
Looking back at past tweets or things I've clicked as a favourite and I think this is probably one of the most important ones so far; it's simple and to the point and makes sense instantly, no long winded advice, just pure simple sense.
It's something I've never thought of before, to literally put one word in front of the other and sort it out tomorrow. It suddenly shifted the mental block out of the way and shoved me forwards to the point where I am really looking forward to NaNoWriMo instead of dreading it. Fear is holding me back again and the same niggling doubts - am I good enough? do I have any writing ability? will I be able to fix it all tomorrow or simply throw in the towel? And this little quote found on twitter reassured me that I've come this far, got 60K under my belt from last years 'win' and all I need to do is repeat the process, dig down deep and produce the goods! I've done it before so there is no reason why I can't do it again. Right? You'd think so, but I really need to kick the fear out of the park or it will hold me back permanently. Who cares if my writing isn't up to scratch...it's called editing for a reason!
So if you're aiming for nanowrimo this year, I wish you lots of luck and we can get through this together :-)
Now, where's the coffee?
Looking back at past tweets or things I've clicked as a favourite and I think this is probably one of the most important ones so far; it's simple and to the point and makes sense instantly, no long winded advice, just pure simple sense.
Neil Gaiman's writing advice"mostly it's a process of putting one word after the other.Fix it tomorrow." @neilhimself...
— KateMaruyama (@KateMaruyama) September 14, 2013
It's something I've never thought of before, to literally put one word in front of the other and sort it out tomorrow. It suddenly shifted the mental block out of the way and shoved me forwards to the point where I am really looking forward to NaNoWriMo instead of dreading it. Fear is holding me back again and the same niggling doubts - am I good enough? do I have any writing ability? will I be able to fix it all tomorrow or simply throw in the towel? And this little quote found on twitter reassured me that I've come this far, got 60K under my belt from last years 'win' and all I need to do is repeat the process, dig down deep and produce the goods! I've done it before so there is no reason why I can't do it again. Right? You'd think so, but I really need to kick the fear out of the park or it will hold me back permanently. Who cares if my writing isn't up to scratch...it's called editing for a reason!
So if you're aiming for nanowrimo this year, I wish you lots of luck and we can get through this together :-)
Now, where's the coffee?
Singing Cat ^.^
Okay so this might be a little mad but my mum and I cannot help but giggle if not break out into hysterics when a particularly lively piece of classical music is played on the car radio...we work together and Classic FM is usually on as we travel around!
Anyway, as you probably already know we have a lot of animals, cats, dogs and 2 very fat, very spoiled horses and they generally become the ballet dancers, musicians and artistes that we know they are in their own little world ;-) like I said...we're all mad here!
Yesterday was one such example. It had been a long day, we were both exhausted and in need of a laugh and needless to say Classic FM did it again accompanied by the image of our animals prancing around on stage. Before I post this, let me assure you we have a lot of respect for the music and the people involved in making it and it is in no way making fun of them, but making light of our pets and de-stressing, good harmless fun :-)
Verdi's La Traviata aka Drinking Song began to play and suddenly my Bengal stud cat Jack popped into my head and I was reminded of his early morning and late night ritual of bidding the world a good morning/evening...this is what he thinks he sounds like in his rendition and it fits him perfectly :-)
Verdi Drinking Song
To the world however, this is what he really sounds like!
Scuttle the Seagull
I still love him to bits, he is such a character!
Stay tuned for more singing and dancing cats/dogs/horses and maybe some writing news when I get around to it :-P
Anyway, as you probably already know we have a lot of animals, cats, dogs and 2 very fat, very spoiled horses and they generally become the ballet dancers, musicians and artistes that we know they are in their own little world ;-) like I said...we're all mad here!
Yesterday was one such example. It had been a long day, we were both exhausted and in need of a laugh and needless to say Classic FM did it again accompanied by the image of our animals prancing around on stage. Before I post this, let me assure you we have a lot of respect for the music and the people involved in making it and it is in no way making fun of them, but making light of our pets and de-stressing, good harmless fun :-)
Verdi's La Traviata aka Drinking Song began to play and suddenly my Bengal stud cat Jack popped into my head and I was reminded of his early morning and late night ritual of bidding the world a good morning/evening...this is what he thinks he sounds like in his rendition and it fits him perfectly :-)
Verdi Drinking Song
To the world however, this is what he really sounds like!
Scuttle the Seagull
I still love him to bits, he is such a character!
Stay tuned for more singing and dancing cats/dogs/horses and maybe some writing news when I get around to it :-P
Monday, 30 September 2013
AwfullyAnonymous
Oh wow, time has rolled past so quickly! A lot has happened since last I posted...we have been blessed and tormented hehe with 3 litters of kittens, two to each litter thankfully and that was more than enough to keep me busy on top of the day job!
Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to train properly for race for life and had to miss out this year...I am making a promise to myself to take part next year and some how I will cajole my mum to get involved as well.
My baking exploits have grown considerably and I've tried quite a few different cakes and tray bakes which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Had someone told me last year that I would actually be taking an interest in anything involving the kitchen and the oven I would have laughed derisively and would certainly not believed them, yet here I am, experimenting with flavours and new combinations! This started off as a surprise back in May/June time for my boyfriend's 21st birthday, I wanted to find a good sized quality cake with lots of flavour but without a ridiculous price tag. Insert light bulb moment as I recalled a conversation in which we joked about putting Guinness in a cake and hey presto, one shopping trip and trial run later, I baked a Guinness cake complete with cream cheese frosting for the foam :-) It was a hit and tasted so good...not that I'm blowing my own trumpet hehe. From there I have made chocolate cupcakes, white chocolate and cranberry blondies, chocolate brownies, coffee and walnut cake (a favourite in this house!), two giant birthday cupcakes - one carrot cake and one cookie dough and choc chip centre - chocolate button cake, several choc fridge cakes, two divine fruit cakes and hopefully plenty more to go as I have asked my aunt for help; she is the Master Baker in the family and she's teaching me to lose the confines of weighing and measuring so precisely and just having fun with it! More posted on this soon :-)
I have been to visit Ightham Mote, a gorgeous old house with lots of history which recently went through an overhaul which was documented by Time Team! Stripped back to the bare bones, the house was repaired and restored to it's full original glory, therefore preserving it for years to come. I for one will certainly be going back, such a beautiful and peaceful place and very inspirational!
I also went on a day trip to Paris with two school friends which was a brilliant experience. I have decided I love Paris and plan to return to visit the Palace of Versailles. The people are friendly and helpful, the architecture is stunning and the history is fascinating. We got to the second level of the Eiffel Tower which was sooo worth queueing in the July heat wave for the stunning panorama! Next stop was the Opera which displayed it's history of dance and ballet alongside beautiful costumes and of course the famous stage and chandelier which were beautiful and so intricate! Onwards to the chocolate museum, an exhibition on chocolate history and then a race to the demonstration of chocolate making and the anticipated taster session ;-) not forgetting the shop stop afterwards for pressies! We made our way to Notre Dame Cathedral which is breath taking with such beautiful architectural detail and that's just the outside, the interior stunned me to silence. We narrowly missed out on the tower tour but that is something I would love to go back and do one day! From there we made our way back outside and hand fed a flock of sparrows which was interesting! Holding up a tiny piece of bread the sparrows decided we weren't a threat and flew in twos and threes to land on our hands and fingers, each taking a few crumbs and making their way to their nests, only to return a few moments later until the bread was gone. They were so very delicate, light and gentle it was quite touching which might be an unusual thing to say about feeding the birds (for free, not tuppence a bag!) but it really was...for me anyway! I managed to traverse and navigate our way through the side streets to an ice cream parlour renowned for it's range of quality ice cream and needless to say we treated ourselves :-)
I was very impressed with the trains; the transport links were seriously good, the Paris underground is clean, bright and huge - no London pushing and shoving here thank you very much!
It was a very long, very hot day but we had lots of laughs, ice cream and hundreds of hilarious photos to remind us of a wonderful day.
And so we roll on towards October and the Great British Autumn, the leaves are turning red and gold, crisp underfoot instead of green and whispering on the branches, bonfires abound, wood smoke fills the cold air, and the rain will drizzle until next year! But there is much to look forward to...more baking, seeing off the last 2 kittens to their new home/s, hearing about a potential job - the interview I went to today was a success; I didn't get confused, trip over my words, or turn a lovely shade of beetroot and managed to explain things in detail when needed...a very good day for me!
So watch this space, I will be much more present than previous months, lots of reading to be done snuggled up in the warm as the weather creeps in, and celebrating 2 years with my wonderful boyfriend :-)
No doubt I will have plenty to say on the political front, world news seems to have gone barmy over the past few months and I have the urge to comment on some of the ludicrous things going on out there...when I have the energy at least! And of course there is Nanowrimo which I plan to take part in again, and I'm being brave and throwing this out there for anyone and everyone who is kind enough to read my posts - I AM GOING TO FINISH THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY NOVEL!
There. I said it. Or rather shouted it into the realm of the internet, apologies I do hope I didn't deafen anyone with that declaration but I felt it need to be done, as a kick starter for me and to get back into the swing of writing again...wish me luck ;-)
Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to train properly for race for life and had to miss out this year...I am making a promise to myself to take part next year and some how I will cajole my mum to get involved as well.
My baking exploits have grown considerably and I've tried quite a few different cakes and tray bakes which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Had someone told me last year that I would actually be taking an interest in anything involving the kitchen and the oven I would have laughed derisively and would certainly not believed them, yet here I am, experimenting with flavours and new combinations! This started off as a surprise back in May/June time for my boyfriend's 21st birthday, I wanted to find a good sized quality cake with lots of flavour but without a ridiculous price tag. Insert light bulb moment as I recalled a conversation in which we joked about putting Guinness in a cake and hey presto, one shopping trip and trial run later, I baked a Guinness cake complete with cream cheese frosting for the foam :-) It was a hit and tasted so good...not that I'm blowing my own trumpet hehe. From there I have made chocolate cupcakes, white chocolate and cranberry blondies, chocolate brownies, coffee and walnut cake (a favourite in this house!), two giant birthday cupcakes - one carrot cake and one cookie dough and choc chip centre - chocolate button cake, several choc fridge cakes, two divine fruit cakes and hopefully plenty more to go as I have asked my aunt for help; she is the Master Baker in the family and she's teaching me to lose the confines of weighing and measuring so precisely and just having fun with it! More posted on this soon :-)
I have been to visit Ightham Mote, a gorgeous old house with lots of history which recently went through an overhaul which was documented by Time Team! Stripped back to the bare bones, the house was repaired and restored to it's full original glory, therefore preserving it for years to come. I for one will certainly be going back, such a beautiful and peaceful place and very inspirational!
I also went on a day trip to Paris with two school friends which was a brilliant experience. I have decided I love Paris and plan to return to visit the Palace of Versailles. The people are friendly and helpful, the architecture is stunning and the history is fascinating. We got to the second level of the Eiffel Tower which was sooo worth queueing in the July heat wave for the stunning panorama! Next stop was the Opera which displayed it's history of dance and ballet alongside beautiful costumes and of course the famous stage and chandelier which were beautiful and so intricate! Onwards to the chocolate museum, an exhibition on chocolate history and then a race to the demonstration of chocolate making and the anticipated taster session ;-) not forgetting the shop stop afterwards for pressies! We made our way to Notre Dame Cathedral which is breath taking with such beautiful architectural detail and that's just the outside, the interior stunned me to silence. We narrowly missed out on the tower tour but that is something I would love to go back and do one day! From there we made our way back outside and hand fed a flock of sparrows which was interesting! Holding up a tiny piece of bread the sparrows decided we weren't a threat and flew in twos and threes to land on our hands and fingers, each taking a few crumbs and making their way to their nests, only to return a few moments later until the bread was gone. They were so very delicate, light and gentle it was quite touching which might be an unusual thing to say about feeding the birds (for free, not tuppence a bag!) but it really was...for me anyway! I managed to traverse and navigate our way through the side streets to an ice cream parlour renowned for it's range of quality ice cream and needless to say we treated ourselves :-)
I was very impressed with the trains; the transport links were seriously good, the Paris underground is clean, bright and huge - no London pushing and shoving here thank you very much!
It was a very long, very hot day but we had lots of laughs, ice cream and hundreds of hilarious photos to remind us of a wonderful day.
And so we roll on towards October and the Great British Autumn, the leaves are turning red and gold, crisp underfoot instead of green and whispering on the branches, bonfires abound, wood smoke fills the cold air, and the rain will drizzle until next year! But there is much to look forward to...more baking, seeing off the last 2 kittens to their new home/s, hearing about a potential job - the interview I went to today was a success; I didn't get confused, trip over my words, or turn a lovely shade of beetroot and managed to explain things in detail when needed...a very good day for me!
So watch this space, I will be much more present than previous months, lots of reading to be done snuggled up in the warm as the weather creeps in, and celebrating 2 years with my wonderful boyfriend :-)
No doubt I will have plenty to say on the political front, world news seems to have gone barmy over the past few months and I have the urge to comment on some of the ludicrous things going on out there...when I have the energy at least! And of course there is Nanowrimo which I plan to take part in again, and I'm being brave and throwing this out there for anyone and everyone who is kind enough to read my posts - I AM GOING TO FINISH THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY NOVEL!
There. I said it. Or rather shouted it into the realm of the internet, apologies I do hope I didn't deafen anyone with that declaration but I felt it need to be done, as a kick starter for me and to get back into the swing of writing again...wish me luck ;-)
Monday, 20 May 2013
Paws For Thought...
Finally feeling a bit better, whether this is a cold or an allergic reaction to our animals (praying it's just a cold!) it seems to be easing day by day - hurrah! Still feeling a bit low in myself though and I think I've finally pin pointed why...I've been in education since Primary school going straight from Secondary and on into University so I've always had goals to work towards, homework, deadlines for coursework, research and projects to complete. I enjoyed the first two years of Uni, they presented a new challenge of working much more independently and I loved it! Then I hit the brick wall that is the third year and I struggled - big time. It was no longer fun but a battle to sit down and actually get on with the work, I wanted to avoid it at all costs but somehow I got through and finished up with an Upper Second Class Honors in History - woo!
Now I'm on the other side though I've found myself without a goal, no compass and feel very much like a little boat bobbing along without direction on waters which seem to grow ever more choppy >.< My problem? I have no idea what I want to do next, for some people this isn't a problem, they will continue to bob along happily and find their harbour or niche in the work place. I however like to have a sense of direction and purpose, it's my safety net and without it I feel as if I'm sailing head first into a storm and there is no way around it. I am lucky that I do have work, I have a roof over my head, my family, a loving boyfriend and my hobbies, but I want to be able to get on with my life with a "real" job or even career, my own home...patience is a virtue and unfortunately it is not one I possess!
Rant over *sigh* I must actually make a decision and take a leap of faith as I have said before...I need to learn to take my own advice hehe
On to brighter things, I'm going to take the leap back into my writing which has been neglected whilst I sank into this confused stupor of day to day life! It is going to be a positive step in the right direction and I hope to have the work in progress finished by September at the latest - I've found an open submission for a competition held by a magazine and it's a pretty exciting prospect! Better get on with it!
And in the cat world we attended a back to back show on Saturday in Godmanchester, with the Suffolk & Norfolk Show and the first GCCF World Championship Show. I decided to take Aggy this time as her sister really doesn't enjoy the showing experience and I'm proud to say that she won her 3rd and crowning CC becoming a Champion in the GCCF World Champ Show! She beat some tough competition, coming 1st of 3 in one breed class, 3rd of 3 in the other breed class and winning 3 of her 4 side classes! We celebrated with champagne whilst watching Eurovision and Aggy enjoyed a special meal with tuna for her dinner :-) So some good news to cheer us all up!
Now I'm on the other side though I've found myself without a goal, no compass and feel very much like a little boat bobbing along without direction on waters which seem to grow ever more choppy >.< My problem? I have no idea what I want to do next, for some people this isn't a problem, they will continue to bob along happily and find their harbour or niche in the work place. I however like to have a sense of direction and purpose, it's my safety net and without it I feel as if I'm sailing head first into a storm and there is no way around it. I am lucky that I do have work, I have a roof over my head, my family, a loving boyfriend and my hobbies, but I want to be able to get on with my life with a "real" job or even career, my own home...patience is a virtue and unfortunately it is not one I possess!
Rant over *sigh* I must actually make a decision and take a leap of faith as I have said before...I need to learn to take my own advice hehe
On to brighter things, I'm going to take the leap back into my writing which has been neglected whilst I sank into this confused stupor of day to day life! It is going to be a positive step in the right direction and I hope to have the work in progress finished by September at the latest - I've found an open submission for a competition held by a magazine and it's a pretty exciting prospect! Better get on with it!
And in the cat world we attended a back to back show on Saturday in Godmanchester, with the Suffolk & Norfolk Show and the first GCCF World Championship Show. I decided to take Aggy this time as her sister really doesn't enjoy the showing experience and I'm proud to say that she won her 3rd and crowning CC becoming a Champion in the GCCF World Champ Show! She beat some tough competition, coming 1st of 3 in one breed class, 3rd of 3 in the other breed class and winning 3 of her 4 side classes! We celebrated with champagne whilst watching Eurovision and Aggy enjoyed a special meal with tuna for her dinner :-) So some good news to cheer us all up!
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